The Benefit of Suffering Evil

I was reading Exodus 5 the other day. This is after Moses is called by God at the burning bush and he goes to Egypt to deliver God's message to Pharaoh, 'Let My people go.' But delivering God's message makes things worse for Israel, not better. Now they have to gather their own straw and yet maintain the same quota of bricks as before. As a result, the response of Israel to Moses was not good. "Jehovah look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."

Moses responded by asking the question that popped into my head as I read. "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all." Why did God do it this way? Why the suffering? Why not just free them immediately?

Then I cheated and looked at the beginning of the next chapter. (There really shouldn't be a chapter division here.) 'But Jehovah said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."' Which impresses more, highlights God's power more, gives the most hope for the future, is more encouraging even to today: Moses saying, 'Let My people go' and Pharaoh responding, 'Oh, okay', or Pharaoh refusing and God sending plague after plague, taking a world power and utterly destroying it until it is thouroughly humiliated, and its leader begs Israel to leave?

What set Israel up to better appreciate the astonishing power of their God was the suffering they endured when Moses first proclaimed his message to Pharaoh. Things getting worse helped them to really 'get it' when things got better. Suffering evil, sent from God, is always for our ultimate benefit. We get to know Him better (And what's better than that?) when He causes us to drink more deeply of the cup of evil. Remembering this when in the midst of the evil makes all the difference. Something to pray about.